Combination-padlock.



N0. 878,913. PATENTED PEBLll, 1908.

N. TOBIAS. COMBINATION PADLOGK.`

APPLICATION FILE-D AUG. 13, 1907.

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1HE NoRRls PETERS ca., wAsmNuuN. n. c.

NEUMAN TOBIAS, OF KINGSTON, JAMAICA.

COMBINATION-PADLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.'

Application iiled August 13. 1907- Serial No. 388294.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEUMAN ToBIAs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Padlocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to combination padlocks, and consists essentially in a padlock having an index plate or disk on its front face, which, when moved in a predetermined manner, actuates interior mechanism of the lock to release the usual keeper or shackle.

In carrying out the present invention, the main purpose in view has been to have all of the functions of the lock accomplished by a single dial plate which has to be moved in an exact predetermined sequence of three successive settings, the lock being responsive to no other movements of the dial of any character whatsoever. Inasmuch as the exact setting of the dial to three successive positions ina proper and exact sequence is very unlikely to be attained accidentally or by trial of an unauthorized person, it is evidentthat the lock is made adequately secure. But although this complex manipulation is made necessary to open the lock, the interior mechanism thereof is nevertheless extremely simple, compact and strong or durable in construction, so that it is not only` applicable to a very neat compact form of padlock, but also one which is very inexpensive to manufacture and not liable to failure or derangement in use.

Additional features of the invention have been the pivoting of the index plate or dial on an axis concentric with the circular body ofthe padlock, which gives the completed article a very neat and regular appearance.

A combination Vpadlock of this type is specially applicable to many uses where carrying a key is inconvenient, for example, on private bath houses. 4Also Where a large number of parties should have authorized access to something which is locked against the general public. For example, the ice-box in a club-house, and other similar arrangements.

In the drawings, Figure 1 .is a side elevation of a combination padlock embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same from the other side, the

, cover plate being removed. Fig. 3 shows view looking into the casing, certain of the parts being removed. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views showing certain of the parts.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, 1 indicates the main body or casing of the padlock, and 2 the shackle pivoted to the main body at 3. The body 1 is preferably of generally circular outline so as to have a circular interior chamber or cavity 4. The shackle 2 has a terminal double hook portion 5 adapted to enter into the circular chamber 4 through a suitable side opening 6;

Within the body or casing 1, preferably at a point diametrically opposite the opening 6, there are pivoted two levers 7 and 8 on the pivotal studs 9 and 10 respectively. 7 a and 8a denote springs im elling these levers normally inward. Bot of these levers are made `curved into a generally semi-circular shae conforming to the curvature of the wal of the casing 1. At the ends, both levers `have bent-over or hook-shaped portions 11 adapted to engage the respective prongs of the double hook 5 of the shackle. The combination lock mechanism is adapted to coperate with these levers 7 and 8 to displace them outward, and thereby release the shackle when the settings ofthe combination are properly made. For this purpose, there is provided a rigid member 12 With a dial portion 12, and a cylindrical portion 12, which last-named cylindrical portion fits in a hole in the front wall of the casing 1, so as to turn freely therein. The center of this hole is concentric with the periphery of the cylindrical casing 1.

13 and 13 indicate semi-circular plates constituting parts of a split Washer inserted in a groove 123 in the member 12 so as to hold this member in proper rotatable relation in, but secured against withdrawal from, the body or casing 1. The rigid `member 12 carries two entirely separate concentrically mounted elements 14 and 15. 14 is a ring having an internally projecting tooth 16 thereon (see particularly Fig. 7), and this l described adapted to coperate with the pivoted lever 8 in the unlocking operation, as will later appear.

The part or element 15 is freely pivoted on a reduced portion 124 of the member 12, and is conveniently held in such relation by a screw 17. This part 15 therefore constitutes a freely swinging arm co-axial with the member 12, and has at its extremity an enlargement 15 extending laterally or Atransversely therefrom. This enlargement 15 presents a narrow rounded edge at its outermost portion or extremity, extending parallel to the axis of revolution of the member 12.

18 designates a detent pivoted to the ring 14 at the point '19 and also having a rounded outer edge or extremity 18. The detent 18, is, however, made substantially straight or unrounded on one side edge or face as shown at 182, the rounding being substantially all on the opposite side as shown at 183. I arrange the detent 18 to be normally springimpelled by means of a spring 20 on the ring 14 and which engages the detent. The detent is movable on either side of its central position'into which it is spring-impelled, but is capable of being moved in this way a greater distance to one side than toward the other. This is conveniently accomplished by forming a shoulder 182L `on the detent which engages the ring 14 after a predetermined movement of the detent in. either direction from its central or radial position. As shown in Fig. 7, the detent is movable upward or away from the rounded side 183 to a greater distance than it is movable downward or away from the flat or straight edge 182.

l make the radial length of the arm 15 from the center to its rounded portion or extremity slightly less than the radial distance from the center of the ring 14 to the rounded extremity 18 of the detent 18. Upon the internal faces of the levers 7 and 8 there are lugs or protuberances 7 and 8 of which 7 extends inward toward the axis or member 12 a greater distance than the lug 8. Both lugs have a central depression or groove 21. The lug 8 presents no flat faces or corners at any point or in any direction to impede the free passage of either the arm 15 or the detent 18 in a movement past the same. The lug 7 also presents no fiat facesor corners to impede the movement of said arm or detent in any direction, except the corner or flat face 21. 22 designates an additionallug extending inward to a less degree than the lug 7, and about corresponding to the inward elevation of the lug 8. This lug 22 has a fiat face or corner 21 which is capable of engaging the flat face 182 of the detent 18, so as to resist the movement thereof. This lug 22 does not project sufficiently inward to engage the arm 15 under any circumstances, and the same is true of the lug 8. These lugs 22 and 8 coperate solely with the detent 18, while the rlug 7 projects sufficiently inward to engage either the detent 18 or the arm 15. The relation of the various parts is such that when the detent 18 is seated in the groove 21 of the lug 8 and the arm 15 has its extremity seated in the groove 21 of the lug 7 as shown in Fig. 3, the levers 7 and 8 will be sufficiently impelled apart or separated to release the shackle 2 of the padlock.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that the parts are in their locked relation as shown in Fig. 2, it is evident that the detent 18 and the arm 15 may be anywhere in the range of their circular movement, but the arm 15 is most likely to hang downward since it is freely pivoted. 1n order to properly move these parts to release the shackle, it is first necessary to position the arm 15 against the lug 7, and thereafter position the detent 18 on the lug 8. The arm 15 can only be moved by the dial 12 through the intermediate engagement ofl the detent 18, which accordingly serves the initial purpose of an abutment or crank to propel said arm 15 rotatably. lf the dial is impelled right-handedly (or anti-clockwise in Fig. 2), the detent 18 will `eventually engage the arm 15 and propel said arm in the same anti-clockwise direction' until its rounded extremity is brought into the groove 21 of the lug 7. It is impossible to do this by a clockwise movement of the detent 18 in Fig. 2,because of the arrest of the detent by the lug 22 before it has accomplished this function. If'the parts happen to be in the relation of Fig. 2, substantially a single rotation of the dial might be suicient to make the proper initial setting, but if the parts happen to have a different relation, it might be necessary to make two complete rotations of the dial before an initial setting may be made. It is apparent therefore that at least two continuous revolultions of the dial should be given at the first may be brought beneath the lug 8 and into the groove 21 thereof. In this movement, however, the detent will have swung rearwardly from its central or radial position, so that it does not yet impel the lever 8 sunflciently far to .release the shackle 2. Inorder to obtain such release it is necessary to give the dial a third and final reverse movement, again anti-clockwise in Fig. 2 which has the eHect of straightening out the detent 18 into an exact radial position as shown in Fig. 3, in which position it impels the lever 8 far enough outward to freely release the shackle.

As shown in Fig. 3, I make the corners of the double hook 5 and the hooks 11 all beveled, so that when the keeper is iinally pulled outward, the levers 7 and 8 will be disturbed outwardly a little further, enough to release the engagement of the arm which quickly drops by gravity, so that the shackle may be sna ped back into locking position without bot ering to rotate the dial. A. stri'ct analysis of the above construction and o erations will show that it is impossible to ac ieve the pro er unlocking movement of the levers 7 an 8 in any way, except by the exact sequence of movements described, and which calls for three successive settings of the dial. I have illustrated the dial with sixty divisions, and it is feasible to estimate halves or even quarters of these divisions -in making settings. There is accordingly only one chance in 13,824,000 that a person unfamiliar with the construction of the lock will accidentally succeed in obtaining the right combination. If a person is familiar with the general nature of the lock, the chances of opening it would, of course, be greater, but as different locks may be manufactured with somewhat different arrangements of the internal parts, left and right-handed, etc., and as each individual lock may have its settings readj usted at any time by displacing the ring 14 on the teeth 16, the probabilities of the lock being opened by any unauthorized person are exceedingly remote.

A feature of the invention lies in the cover 30 which is circular, corresponding to the outline of the bodyor casing 1. This cover has a bayonet joint connection 31, 31 with the body or casing, and concentric with said body and with the member 12. When the cover is turned so that the bayonet joint is in locking position, it resents an opening 82 in the ilange 31 of the ayonet joint, through which the shackle 2 may enter and lock the cover against turning backward to unfasten the bayonet joint until the shackle has been againreleased by the combination lock.

What I claim, is:

1. In a combination padlock having a shackle, a plurality of levers separately engaging the shackle, a plurality of devices all rotatable on a single axis for impelling said levers to release the shackle, and a single dial movable to position all of said devices whereby the shackle can be released.

2. In a combination padlock having a shackle, means engaging the shackle to hold it in locking relation, a member having a dial, and a detent and a swingingarm both supported by said member and adapted to engage said means to release the shackle.

3. In a combination padlock having a shackle, levers having grooved protuberances and constructed to engage the shackle, and a member carrying se arately movable means to engage said protu erances, said means being so positioned by successive movements of the member.

4. In a combination padlock having a shackle, levers having lugs or rotuberances and adapted to engage the shac le, a member rotatable within the padlock and having a dial, a detent carried by said member and adapted to engage one of said lugs, and an arm freely pivoted on said member and adapted to engage the other lug, whereby the shackle is released.

5. In a combination padlock having a shackle, levers adapted to engage the shackle, Y

a rotatable member, a ring angularly adjustable thereon, a detent pivoted to said ring to swing either side of a radial position thereon, and an arm shorter than the radial distance of the extremity of said detent Jfrom the axis of its supporting member, and pivoted on said member co-axially therewith.

6. In a combination padlock having a shackle, means adapted to engage the shackle, a member having a detent, and a swinging arm positioned by said detent, whereby the detent and said arm are adapted to be successively positioned to engage said means and i release theshackle by successive movements of said member.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signaj ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

NEUMAN TOBIAS.

Witnesses WALDo M. CHA-PIN,

JAMES DANToNIo. 

